HC asks police investigators: Explain allegation of forced murder confession from a minor

The High Court on Tuesday summoned two police investigators to appear before it and explain the allegations of forcing a minor boy to confess the murder of his younger brother.

Nayan Kumar, then in charge of investigating the murder of an eight-year-old boy in 2015, and Md Mansur Ali, the current Investigation Officer (IO), have been asked to appear before the court by 10:30 am on August 3.

Nayan is now an inspector of Criminal Investigation Department of Police in Natore, and Mansur is a sub-inspector of Police Bureau of Investigation in Bogura.

The HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Atoar Rahman passed the order following a petition filed by five Supreme Court lawyers.

On June 20, the lawyers drew attention of the court to a newspaper report that the accused, 12-year-old brother of the victim was forced to give a confessional statement on the murder.

The petitioners challenged the legality of the case and sought necessary directives in this regard.

The court fixed June 29, this Tuesday, for hearing.

Advocate Sishir Monir stood for the petitioners, while deputy attorney general Mohammad Bashir Ullah represented the state.

According to the newspaper report, an eight-year-old boy in Sariakandi upazila of Bogura district was found dead after he had gone missing on August 25, 2015.

Mahidul, victim’s father filed a case with Sariakandi Police Station the following day.

On November 29, 2015, police visited the house of Mahidul and arrested his elder son, who was 12-years-old, in this connection.

On November 30 same year police produced the boy before the Bogura Senior Judicial Magistrate Court where the boy gave a confessional statement.

In the confessional statement, the boy said he killed his younger brother as his parents loved him more than him.

Later, the court asked the boy to live with his parents as he was a minor.

Referring to a Bogura court order Advocate Sishir said “The state counsel said that the IO submitted a fake chargesheet against the victim without investigating properly.”

He said proper investigation is needed to unearth the real picture. PBI should investigate the case. Besides, there is contradiction between the chargesheet and post-mortem report which indicates that fake chargesheet has been given.”

Meanwhile, the accused boy was admitted to hospital after he gave confessional statement under section 164.

The victim also alleged that he was tortured for making the statement before the court.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

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